Hidden Strength
by Foxieglove
Summary: When Tommy gets upset at Merton for not standing up for himself, Merton takes it much more seriously than Tommy intended him to. Trouble starts when the former leader of the Syndicate, Sacien, (remember that bald dude?) finds a loophole (a fairly big one)


Hidden Strength

"Hey, Dad, how's it going?" asked Rufus, walking inside from the cold. He'd been at the soup kitchens along with the other members of the Syndicate for most of the day. Sacien, his father and the former leader of the Syndicate, glowered at the young werewolf.  
  
"I told you never to call me that," Sacien hissed, eyes glowing. "Now get out of my sight and let me sulk in peace."  
  
"Oh come on, Dad, don't you think you're being melodramatic?"  
  
"I just lost my leadership to a `good' werewolf and his little gothic punk of a friend!"  
  
"Well, actually," corrected Rufus, "You lost your leadership to Lori, and she lost when that goth kid --"  
  
Sacien looked up sharply. "What did you say?"  
  
Rufus stared back, comprehension dawning in his face.  
  
"That mortal . . . Merton . . . _He's_ the true leader . . . he's the one who defeated Lori. And in cases such as these . . ." Sacien scurried toward the desk and began flipping through the pages of the Syndicate Rule book. As he read a smile spread over his features.  
  
"When a mortal defeats a werewolf leader, the werewolf who next tastes of their blood and succeeds in forcing the mortal to name the werewolf as leader, shall be the new leader," Sacien read aloud. He barked with laughter. "Get the other members together! Tommy's orders no longer apply to us!"  
  
"And um, neither do yours," Rufus said. Sacien snarled at him. "But then again, these are very special circumstances, so I think we can look that fact over for now," Rufus said hurriedly. He scampered out of the room, leaving Sacien alone.  
  
"So . . . Tommy . . . it appears as though I'm not quite out of your hair yet."  
  
Sacien threw back his head, letting the air ring with cold laughter.  
  


_I used to own this town,   
Now it's been turned upside down.  
Wish that I could figure out  
Do you think  
It's just a phase I'm going through  
Just a phase I'm going through  
  
_

  
Tommy's V.O.: _We'd all thought that the Syndicate was over and done with. Sacien couldn't do anything since I'd ordered him never to show his face in Pleasantville again, and if he even thought about breaking that rule, he knew me and Lori would kick his butt. Well, Merton too. Sort of.  
  
I know I`m being hard on him, but I can never quite figure him out. One minute, he's all for leaping into the fray and helping us defeat the bad guys, but when the situation backfires, he'll do just about anything to save his butt. Not exactly `hero` material, but what can I say? He's still my best friend. I just wish he'd show a little more backbone._  
  
Tommy was heading down the empty hall toward football practice when he heard a loud metal clanging from around the corner and Merton's voice raising in protest.  
  
"Come on guys, this is the second time today! You already took my money--"  
  
"Would you shut up, Dingle? Hugo will hear you."  
  
"Oh right, sorry," Merton muttered as TnT searched him roughly for loose change. Tommy rolled his eyes and wolfed out.  
  
Growling, he rounded the corner, startling Tim and Travis as they held Merton up against the lockers in a chokehold.  
  
"Travis! It's the wolf man!"  
  
Tommy didn't wait for them to react. He charged and sent Tim stumbling backwards. Travis managed to grab his arm and twist it behind him. Tommy yelped in pain and drove his elbow into Travis' gut. The bully gasped and slumped forward and was sent flying toward his dazed twin.  
  
"Come on," Tommy growled, grabbing Merton by the collar and dragging him away before TnT could get up. His arm was aching and he knew that practice was going to suck because of it.  
  
Tommy dragged Merton into the boy's bathroom and slammed the door behind him. "Thanks Tommy," Merton started to say, but was cut off.  
  
"Can't you defend yourself just _once?_" Tommy snapped, nursing his injury. Merton flinched, looking hurt. "Come on, Merton! Why do _I_ always have to save you?"  
  
"I . . . I never asked you to. You kinda do that out of the goodness of your heart. Right?"  
  
"Well . . . yeah . . . but it's not like you're totally helpless. You could at least _try_."  
  
"Look, Tommy, not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but you're starting to sound like my dad. And it's really freaking me out." Merton was clearly getting upset.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, but --"  
  
"But you want me to defend myself. Okay, how? I'm not the one with super-human strength."  
  
"So? Neither is Lori," countered Tommy.  
  
"And I'm not a kick-boxing champion either. I'm the one who does the research and finds out how to stop the monsters. Don't you think that's the least bit helpful?"  
  
"It couldn't hurt if you learned how to throw a few punches."  
  
"Hey! I know how to throw a punch. I just don't . . ."  
  
Tommy sighed. "You don't want to get your butt kicked, so you prefer to stay on the sidelines," he continued for Merton. "And when it looks like we're losing, you try to ditch. Yeah, that's real helpful."  
  
Merton glared at Tommy, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "You know what, thanks a lot for pointing my faults out to me, Tommy. Let me know when I can return the favor." Wounded, Merton swung open the door and stormed off.  
  
"Aw, Merton . . . don't take it like that!" Tommy started after him, but then heard cheerleaders coming down the hall. He ducked back into the bathroom, trying to remember that haiku so he could regain his normal shape.  
  


* * *

  
Merton sipped his drink at a booth in the Factory, and stared darkly across the room. He didn't want to admit Tommy was right, but the fact still remained that he _was._ Merton sighed and closed his eyes. Yeah, he was a coward, but a _smart_ coward. He was the one that figured out what to do and how to do it. That was enough to contribute to the team . . . wasn't it?  
  
"Hey, Merton, what's up?" asked Lori, putting a hand on his shoulder. Merton smiled at her, but Lori didn't miss the pain in his eyes.  
  
"Nothing," he muttered and took another drink from his soda.  
  
"Where's Tommy?"  
  
"Don't know," Merton replied, trying not to let any bitterness escape into his voice. There was, however, no fooling Lori.  
  
Her hand smacked down on the table and she leaned over to look him in the face. "Merton, what did he say to you now?" she growled, exasperated.  
  
Merton jerked upright and stared at her in shock. "How did you . . .?"  
  
"Call it psychic powers, but I can usually tell when something's bothering you," Lori said, wryly.  
  
"And you figured it was Tommy. I'm that readable, huh?"  
  
"So it _was_ Tommy?"  
  
Merton looked away. "Yes. But I really don't need you to give him an earful for me. You've done enough of that already."  
  
Lori sat across from him and leaned forward, concern on her face. "What do you mean?" she asked gently.  
  
"He's right. I'm practically useless to you guys. I don't fight, I panic when there's trouble, and I couldn't even defend myself from _cheerleaders_," Merton said, tears forming in his eyes.  
  
"Merton . . . " Lori started, then paused for a moment, wondering why on earth Merton would need to defend himself from cheerleaders, before continuing. "Come on, you`re the one that figures out what's going on."  
  
"Someday, that's not going to be enough. You guys'll be in deep trouble and I'll have to save you. By myself."  
  
"You've always managed to come through for us, no matter what anyone says!"  
  
"Lori, look at me! Look at these puny muscles and tell me if I'll last against anything from a minotaur to a pixie!" Merton said, rolling up his shirt sleeve and presenting his thin, pale arm to Lori. Not able to help herself, she started giggling.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Merton said, glumly.  
  
"That's not what I'm laughing at," Lori said quickly, putting a hand on his wrist. Her hand moved up his bare arm and she felt Merton tense as she felt his muscles. There was a slight blush spreading across Merton's face and out of kindness, she pretended not to notice it.  
  
"Well, no offense, but you are kinda . . ." Lori struggled for the appropriate words.  
  
"Delicate?" Merton offered, sheepishly.  
  
"Yeah. You've got potential, though. Just work out a little to get toned up. Then I can teach you some moves."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"A few basics at the most. I`m still learning too."  
  
Merton smiled, and this time it reached to his eyes. "Thanks Lori."  
  
Lori grinned back. Secretly, she knew it was more than his body that would need toning. His self-esteem was low . . . had probably always been low even after Tommy had befriended him.  
  
"I gotta go do some homework. And there's a bio test tomorrow too." Lori rubbed Merton's shoulder affectionately. "See you later."  
  
"Why don't you drop by the Lair in a couple hours? I can help you study."  
  
"Allright, see you around 7:30 then."  
  
Merton watched as she left, then turned back to finish his drink. Tommy`s words came back to him and he winced. He was certain his best friend hadn't meant to diss him, but it still hurt. He'd heard the same thing from his dad countless times before anyway.  
  
"Merton, if you don't learn how to be a man, you'll never make it in this world." Merton could almost hear his dad`s voice and he shuddered slightly. His dad was a powerfully-built man who seemed to think Merton had inherited his muscles and was storing them in the back of his closet until he figured out how to use them.  
  
Merton sighed again and looked at his watch. It was 5:15 and `American Werewolf in Paris' was going to show on cable in twenty minutes. If he hurried, he would make it back to the Lair in time.  
  
He swallowed the last few gulps of his soda, fished his keys out of his pocket, and headed out to the parking lot. 

* * *

  
Tommy's V.O: _Practice wasn't so bad after all; my arm was just fine by the time it was over. I guess one of the benefits of being a werewolf is speedy recovery. Which is a good thing, because the moment I ran into Lori I knew I was going to need it._  
  
"Hey, Lori!" Tommy greeted her as she headed toward him. Lori glared at him, balled her fist and slammed it into Tommy's stomach.  
  
"Aaagh!" Tommy cried, doubling over. He leaned against the lockers as he wolfed out, thanking his lucky stars that no-one was around to see his transformation. "What was that for?!" he cried angrily.  
  
"For what you said to Merton, you big jerk!" Lori snapped back. "I can't believe you! What right did you have saying he was useless?"  
  
"I didn't say that!"  
  
"You said _something_ to that effect!"  
  
"Look, all I said was that he should defend himself from TnT and not to give into bullies so easily. It's a pain to have to rescue him all the time!"  
  
"You want pain? I'll give you pain!" Lori yelled, kicking Tommy in the shins.  
  
"Owww! Lori, quit it!"  
  
"Why do you have to be so ignorant of other people's feelings?"  
  
"What do you mean ignorant? I happen to know full well that you're pissed off!" Tommy yelped, rubbing his sore leg.  
  
"Of _Merton's_ feelings. So what if he can't fight? _You_ couldn't tell a basilisk from a tree frog, but he doesn't give you a problem about that!"  
  
"Look I'm sorry I said _anything_ okay?! All I meant was it would be nice to see him show a little self-respect and not let himself get pushed around so much."  
  
"Well, you sure got your message across clear as a bell," Lori said, sarcastically.  
  
Tommy sighed, remembering the hurt look in Merton's eyes. "Think we better go talk to him?"  
  
"I've already talked to him. I promised to give him some kickboxing lessons. He's pretty slender though, I don't know if he'll be able to put any real force behind his kicks. I think some form of karate would be --- why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
"Because you just beat the crap out of me and now you're agreeing with me! Make up your mind! _Jeez!_"  
  
"Tommy, I'm not happy with the way you told him, and I'm not _completely_ agreeing with you. I can see the sense in Merton learning a few basics to defend himself from bullies, but when it comes to the team fighting I`d rather he stay on the sidelines than get hurt. Don't you?"  
  
Tommy sighed. "Yeah. You're right Lori."  
  
"I promised to go over to Merton's at half-past 7, but I don't think he'll mind if we drop in a little earlier."  
  
"Allright, I guess I'd better apologize," Tommy grumbled, and together, he and Lori walked down the hall toward the exit.  
  


* * * 

  
"Oh, come on! Don't be stupid and investigate! Run, you idiot, run!" Merton yelled at the TV screen in the dark of his room.  
  
He heard a sharp clink from behind him and turned around to see what it was, getting a slight shiver as he did so. He dismissed it as an effect of watching horror movies in a lightless room and turned back to the screen just in time to see the werewolf disembowel one of the actors. Much fake blood and guts ensued, and Merton shook his head woefully. "I told you to run. But nooo, you had be a dork and go poking around."  
  
Merton reached for some popcorn and jerked his hand back when he felt something brush against it. Something furry . . .  
  
"Okay . . . that's the last time I watch this movie alone . . ." he thought to himself, trying not to freak out. It had probably just been a moth.  
  
On the screen, the werewolf struck again and Merton yelped and hid his face, not ready this time for the carnage that followed. "Jeez, when's the last time I've seen this? I almost forgot about that part," he wondered aloud, slowly uncurling from his huddled position in the armchair to watch the rest of the scene.  
  
The werewolf on the TV snarled, and as if on some given signal, shadows emerged from the corners of Merton's room, surrounding him and blocking his view of the TV. Clawed hands dug into his shoulders, holding him in place as duct tape was placed over his mouth, stifling his panicked scream. More claws dug into the flesh of his arms and flung him full length on the floor of his room, binding his body with strips of cloth and rope. Merton looked up, but all he could see was the werewolf in the movie, tearing apart another innocent victim.  
  
Someone's hand grabbed the back of his neck and forced him to kneel upright. "It's a shame we can't stay much longer. I really do love this part," Sacien hissed in his ear, reaching for the remote control. Merton shuddered and the TV clicked off, leaving the room in darkness.  
  


* * *

  
Tommy and Lori arrived at Merton's house fifteen minutes shy of seeing Sacien and some other werewolves from the Syndicate drag Merton out of his house and into the back of a station wagon.  
  
"Merton? You there, buddy?" Tommy called, opening the door to Merton's Lair. There wasn't any sign of him, so he and Lori decided to check in his room. Still nothing, but Tommy had a very strange feeling . . . as if he smelled something both sour and familiar.  
  
"Becky, have you seen Merton?" Lori asked.  
  
Annoyed, Becky told her friend to hang on and looked up from the phone. "The last time I was unlucky enough to see him, he was headed up to his room. Then some really freaky guys came around looking for him. Must've been part of his weirdo gothic club."  
  
Lori frowned. "What did they look like?"  
  
"They were wearing robes and the leader was this weird bald dude that held his pinky in the air a lot. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm sort of talking on the phone."  
  
"Oh, right. Thanks."  
  
Becky turned back to her conversation with Heather and Lori bolted back up the stairs. "Tommy . . . um, we have a problem . . ."  
  


* * *

  
Merton looked nervously at Sacien as the werewolf led him and his captors into the Syndicate headquarters. What did they want with him?  
  
Beside him, a younger werewolf smiled at him cheerfully. "Don't look so scared," Rufus whispered in his ear. "You're home now."  
  
Still muffled by the duct tape, Merton's eyes looked back, full of confusion.  
  
"You're our leader," Rufus explained.  
  
Merton's eyes widened in disbelief and he made a surprised sound. Sacien whirled on him, eyes glowing with anger. "Shut your mouth, Rufus."  
  
Sacien gripped the back of Merton's neck, hard, and shoved him into an empty chair. "Leave us!" he barked to the other werewolves. Slowly, they filed out with only two remaining as the guards. Sacien gripped a corner of the duct tape and ripped it from Merton's skin.  
  
"Yeeeoooowww!" Merton yelped.  
  
"Now, Martin . . ." Sacien began when the dark-haired teenager had quit his pained whimpering.  
  
"It's Merton, actually," Merton corrected. Sacien growled in irritation. "But Martin's fine, really! So why quibble?"  
  
The former Syndicate leader smiled toothily. "Ohh, this should be easy. You don't have any willpower. You're as helpless as a child . . ." he taunted, walking around Merton in a slow circle.  
  
"Just tell me what you want, okay? No need to be nasty about it."  
  
"Pathetic . . . _you_ the leader of the Syndicate! Of all the miserable humans in this town, why'd it have to be the weakest one?"  
  
Merton flinched. "What do you want from me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice level.  
  
"All you have to do is say my name and acknowledge me as your master. Once you do, your friends in Pleasantville will be in grave danger. But of course, your own safety comes first. Am I correct?" Sacien bared his teeth and Merton tried to squirm away. "Since you're nothing but a coward--"  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
Sacien's eyebrows raised in mock surprise. "Well, at least your _pretending_ to be brave. Holding out until Tommy arrives to save you?"  
  
"You know what? Maybe I can save myself this time." Merton swung his leg up and kicked the werewolf hard in the nutcrackers. Sacien yelped in pain and fell over while Merton made a lunge for the door. The bonds around his ankles tripped him up and he landed hard on his hip. Sacien gave a shrill whistle and two guards burst in, striding over to tower above Merton's struggling body. He signaled to them and they hauled Merton up to his knees.  
  
"So, it looks like you have some fight in you after all," Sacien gasped as he tried to get over his injury.   
  
Merton glowered back, but Sacien stared him down until the young man looked away.  
  
"You could stand to learn some respect for your new leader."  
  
Merton's blood boiled. Tommy was right; why did he always give into these jerks? Sacien was being a real dickhead and for once, Merton felt the spark of defiance within him fan itself into flames of retaliation.  
  
"Screw you," he hissed with as much venom as he could put into those two words. Sacien looked genuinely astonished this time, but masked it with a smirk. "Boys, kindly escort your `leader' to the cells. I'll be there shortly. See if you can `loosen him up` a bit."  
  
Sacien smirked as Merton was dragged away, protesting bitterly. Once the teen was out of sight, the former leader frowned. The look in Merton's eyes had been that of true hatred . . . and Sacien had seen a quiet strength that hadn't been there before. Worry began to gnaw at his insides; had he been too rash in thinking Merton would give in so easily?  
  
"You're a fool if you think you can last for a minute under the tortures I can inflict on you, Merton," Sacien thought to himself. "No-one is _that_ strong . . . least of all you."  
  


* * *

  
Tommy had wolfed out again so he could track down Sacien's scent. They had snuck downstairs and thankfully, Becky had still been too busily gossiping on the phone to notice them as they left Merton's house. Tommy's nose led him to the driveway where he gagged at the overpowering smell of gasoline and car fumes. It was normal to a human, but for a werewolf, it reeked terribly. He forced himself to turn back to normal. "As far as I can tell, they shoved Merton in a car and drove off."  
  
Lori sighed and walked to Merton's hearse. "Allright, we're going to follow them."  
  
Tommy watched her in astonishment as she opened the door and started searching around for Merton's car keys. When she didn't find them, she shook her head in irritation and knelt down. Tommy was wondering what she was doing until the hearse suddenly roared to life.   
  
"Whoa! Lori, you hot-wired it?"  
  
"We need a ride, don't we?"  
  
"Yeah, but . . . you hot-wired it?"  
  
"Yes, Tommy, we've already established that I hot-wired it. Now come on!"  
  
"But . . . but . . . girls aren't supposed to know that stuff!"  
  
"Oh really!" Lori's eyes flashed and she made fist. Tommy now knew how Merton felt whenever she got mad at him. He made haste to cover up his blunder.  
  
"I mean, that's awesome! _I_ can't even do that!" he complimented her. Lori rolled her eyes, but relaxed.  
  
"I'll drive. Get in." Lori climbed into the drivers` side and slammed the door shut. Once Tommy put his seatbelt on, she floored the gas pedal, roared off of Elmstreet and barreled toward the highway.  
  
"Lori, um . . . I realize this is an emergency, but couldja SLOW DOWN A LITTLE!?!" Tommy gasped, having difficulty breathing.  
  
Lori lifted her foot off the gas pedal a little and Tommy sighed in relief, but they were still going twenty miles over the speed limit.  
  
"He's not gonna be happy if you get him a speeding ticket."  
  
"If the Syndicate's got him, then Merton's got alot more to worry about than a ticket, Tommy."  
  
"Yeah, and so will we if we get pulled over. Hot-wiring happens to be _illegal_, you know."  
  
"Oh . . . good point." Tommy watched the speedometer drop five points. They were now only five miles over the speed limit; not enough to get pulled over. Tommy and Lori focused on the task ahead, each wondering silently what Sacien had planned for Merton and whether or not they were driving straight into a trap.  
  


* * *

  
Merton sobbed quietly in the darkened cell, the chains holding him up by his wrists chafing painfully into his skin. The guards had `loosened him up' allright. He had the cuts and bruises to prove it. It had been the most painful beating in his entire life, even counting the one TnT and a few other jocks gave him in his sophomore year.  
  
TnT had kept picking on him because they knew he was too afraid to defend himself. He probably could, but he didn't want to make things worse for himself. It wasn't cowardice, it was survival. There was no way Merton could hope to win against 800 pounds of human flesh with knowledge of every wrestling move invented and an overpowering case of B.O..  
  
"Now listen here, son," his dad had said to him after Merton had limped home, virtually beaten to a pulp. "I won`t stand for this any longer! I want you to go to school tomorrow and pop those two bullies right in the nose!"  
  
"Sure, Dad. Just make sure you have the funeral arrangements ready. The coffin can be any size since I'll most likely be coming home in several pieces," Merton had retorted bitterly, before storming off to his room.  
  
But this was different. Sacien had it in for Tommy and Lori, and all of Pleasantville, not just him. While part of him was ranting at him to stop being a sacrificial moron and do what Sacien wanted, the more logical part was urging him not to give up so easily. He may not be able to best Sacien or any of the werewolves guarding him with brute force, but it wasn't brute force that was his best ally . . . it was his brain power. Sacien could not be leader again unless Merton acknowledged it with his own voice. The best thing to do would be to keep his mouth shut until he could think of a way out of this place.  
  
He worried about the pain Sacien would inflict on him, but at the same time, his heart rebelled against having to see Sacien's triumphant sneer as he begged for mercy and groveled at the old werewolf's feet. "You can rot in hell," Merton growled. "I might be afraid of you, terrified even, but I'm still going to fight you."  
  
Having said that out loud, Merton took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to relax and pull himself together.  
  
"Bravo!" cheered a voice from outside of his cell. Merton looked up sharply to see Rufus clapping. "That was so inspiring! You could be a great leader if you were a werewolf! Well, actually, you`d make a better receptionist, but if you toned up those muscles a little--"  
  
"Hey, do you mind? I`m trying to gather my resolve here! That and piece together my Last Will and Testament, so if you could give me a little peace and quiet, I`d appreciate it."  
  
"Oh, right! Sorry, leader."  
  
"Why are you calling me leader? I'm hanging by my wrists, my clothes have practically been torn to shreds, and I've been used as a punching bag! Or is this how you normally treat your leaders?"  
  
"Well, _technically_, you're _not_ our leader. Not completely. You were the one who blew the dart into Lori, so that makes you the one to have defeated her. According to the rules, werewolves can't be led by ordinary mortals. But, you _do_ get to choose who our leader will be. All they have to do is taste your blood - just a drop - and you say certain things, acknowledge them by name, yadda, yadda, yadda, and basically pledge them in as the new leader of the Syndicate," Rufus explained.  
  
"That's it? I could pick anyone . . . even, you?"  
  
Rufus raised his hands. "Please, not me. Dad would really have a cow. And I don't mean for dinner. I`m not interested in all that leadership stuff anyway. I happen to collect stamps, though. Want to see 'em?"  
  
Merton sighed then his eyes lit up. "Tommy!"  
  
"Where?!" asked Rufus, leaping three feet in the air and looking wildly about in all directions.  
  
"No, I mean . . . I choose Tommy as the leader!"  
  
"But he's not even here!" protested Rufus. Merton cursed aloud.  
  
"Okay, but when he gets here . . ."  
  
"You'll be dead by then," hissed Sacien, stepping into the corridor. He glared at Rufus and swatted the young werewolf upside the head. "Idiot! Tell him everything, why don`t you?!"  
  
"Well, he _is_ our --"  
  
"It is _quite_ important to your future existence that you do not finish that sentence. Go to your room!"  
  
"Aw, but Dad--"  
  
Sacien snarled and Rufus scurried off, knowing better than to argue further. He turned back to Merton who gulped slightly.  
  
"Hello Merton. It's time we continued our little `chat'," the former leader purred, smiling unpleasantly as he unlocked the cell door. "I see the guards have done a good job at making you feel more at home. However, it appears you haven't changed your mind. More`s the pity for you."  
  
"You won't get what you want from me! When Tommy gets here, _he'll_ be the new leader!"  
  
"Brave words. Can you live up to them?"  
  
"I hope," the teen muttered under his breath.  
  
"I doubt, even if he does arrive to save you, that there will be very much of you left. And it doesn't seem likely he'd be willing to pass on the werewolf curse to you, just to gain leadership of an order he wants no part in."  
  
"Better him than you. He knows that. And he knows I wouldn't mind being a werewolf either."  
  
Sacien scowled. Merton seemed determined . . . no, he would not get worried. This was a human, after all. Their pain threshold as a species was lower than werewolves, and the tortures Sacien was ready to inflict would send even the most stoic werewolf howling for its den mother.  
  
But first . . . the blood. A torture within itself. He reached out a hand and tore a nail down Merton's chest, drawing blood. "Aaaaaahhh!!!" the boy screamed, arching his back and struggling against his chains. Sacien bent forward lick the blood as was required of him, but succeeded only in getting nailed in the stomach as Merton swung his knees up to shove Sacien back. Angered now, Sacien struck him across the face, making black stars burst in the teenager's head.  
  
Merton still struggled, but he was effectively restrained by the chains and the fact that the room was bulging in and out, making him nauseous. He felt the werewolf's mouth closing around his wound and sucking the salty blood away. Sacien's thirst began to increase with each swallow, but he refused to let his teeth sink into the boy's flesh. He didn't want Merton to die of blood loss, not while he still needed him to speak.  
  
Reluctantly, he jerked away from the boy's bloodied chest and wiped his mouth. He regarded Merton as the young man's body shook with gasping sobs. Even now, he was trying to gain control, but Sacien could read the underlying desperation in his eyes. Merton hadn`t expected it to hurt so badly; he had been ill-prepared for the pain. Sacien`s eyes glinted. Perhaps he had nothing to worry about after all.  
  


* * *

  
"Why would Sacien come after Merton and not you?"  
  
"That's what I'd like to know. I mean, I thought I ordered them to show their faces in Pleasantville unless it was to support the football team . . . and the football game`s not until next Friday. I don't see how they could have found a loophole."  
  
"Tommy . . ." Lori's face was pale, and for a moment, Tommy was afraid she'd lose control of the Hearse and crash into something.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Maybe they _did_ find a loophole! You weren't the one that defeated me! Technically, it was Merton who blew the dart into me! He's the leader . . . he didn't do any fighting, but nevertheless, he brought me down . . . I guess the other werewolves didn't notice that at first."  
  
"Oh my g-- Lori! All Sacien has to do to gain his leadership is either kill Merton or hurt him enough to make him beg for mercy! Which probably means that Sacien's the leader again," Tommy added, cynically.  
  
"Tommy! I really wish you'd have more faith in Merton. Sure he's got a low pain threshold, and he whimpers a lot, but he's always been there for us! That might change if we don`t get there soon. I swear, if that furry buttmunch has harmed so much as an eyelash on Merton, I`ll---" Lori snarled under her breath and her foot applied more pressure to the gas pedal. Tommy didn't stop her this time; he was too worried about his best friend.  
  
"Hang on, Merton," Tommy thought silently. "We're coming."  
  


* * *

  
Merton's eyes fluttered open and cramps seized his body. He tried to cry out but his voice was disobeying him. _Good,_ he thought wearily, closing his eyes against the garish light, _Can't say his name if I can't talk._  
  
"Rufus, give him some water," commanded Sacien's voice.  
  
Merton felt a cup press to his mouth and felt cool liquid on his lips. Oh god, he was so thirsty. But if he drank, he might get his voice back. With all the strength he could muster, he turned his face away from the offered drink.  
  
Sacien cursed and stepped forward and Merton heard a soft grunt from Rufus as he was shoved away. "Rufus, make yourself useful and guard the door."  
  
"Okie dokie," Rufus said. Merton could just make out the young werewolf`s dark shape flitting out of the cell.  
  
Iron fingers gripped his face and forced him to sit up, his nerves exploding with agony at the sudden movement. Unable to help himself, he opened his mouth to give a rasping cry and felt the contents of the cup being forced down his throat. Merton choked and gasped as he swallowed the water.  
  
He felt a hand on his lacerated back and screamed aloud at the pain. This time, his voice carried down the corridor. Sacien let him collapse back onto the dungeon bunk and as Merton laid down, he felt his body become fully awake and aware of the tortures that had been inflicted on him in the past hour. It almost hurt too much to breathe . . .  
  
The weird thing was Merton couldn't remember being tortured. He couldn't even remember passing out.   
  
"You may think you're smart to have lasted for so long, you pathetic little wretch, but know this," Sacien was hissing. It was hard to listen to him; the room kept shimmering and dancing before his eyes, and something was also distorting his sense of sound. Sometimes Sacien's lips moved but his voice was quiet, and sometimes his voice was so blaringly loud it made Merton's ears ring.  
  
"Your body can only last so long under this torture. If I had continued, you'd be dead. And I refuse to let you die until you call me your leader."  
  
Sacien's face, from what Merton could tell, was full of worry. Apparently, the leader had underestimated him. Merton had fought back and somehow, he had withstood the torture. But how?  
  
Flashes came back to him, and suddenly, Merton could remember seeing his body subjected to various torture techniques. Some he couldn't quite make out; he had never seen them used in any of the Inquisition manuals he had in his library. Others were old-fashioned and quite well-known. His back, for example, had been at the mercy of a whip. He couldn't remember feeling each individual blow, but he had been able to watch them land on his own back, almost as if . . .  
  
Merton suddenly realized what he had done. It was a trick he had read in `The Princess Bride', the edited version by William Goldberg. It had gotten bad reviews and almost hadn't gotten published, but it's popularity had risen ever since the novel had been made into a movie. Well, anyway, the main character Westley had been subjected to torture at the command of the villainous Prince Humperdink. According to the book, Westley's reactions to the pain were normal, but he hadn't let the torture break his spirit. He had been `taking his brain away' to be with his love, Buttercup, while his body was tormented. Merton hadn't necessarily taken himself away to paradise with Melissa Joan Hart (although later, he wished he had) , but he had managed to keep his mind from being affected by the torture. And Sacien was not very happy about it.  
  
"Listen, Merton, you've obviously had enough. You're body can't take much more of this. If you give into me, I'll let you go."  
  
Merton glared at him. "No," he spoke, through clenched teeth.  
  
"I promise, I won't make any move to hurt Tommy or Lori."  
  
With great effort, Merton shook his head in defiance.  
  
"I won't conquer Pleasantville. I'll move onto some other town and you'll never hear from us again," Sacien cried, pleading now.  
  
Merton laughed at the irony of it. "Now who's begging who?" he whispered. Sacien's face went pale and his eyes narrowed into slits.  
  
"You'll wish you had accepted my mercy while you still had the chance. Now you will feel pain unto your death to the extent that you will die praising my name with your last breath!" Sacien roared, springing to his feet.  
  
Merton's vision was still blurry, and he could not see what Sacien did to him, but in the next instant, he felt an excruciating pain searing through him, entering his abdomen and driving itself slowly through his flesh, heading toward his heart. He knew subconsciously that when it reached his heart, he would die.  
  
The fear rose in him then; and tears began to fall freely from his eyes.  
  
_"Beg for mercy . . . stall him . . . anything!"_ Merton's mind screamed at him. The pain was breaking him and he knew that he had reached his limit. He knew that it was either give Sacien what he wanted or die . . . he had held out for as long as he could. The words that would save him bubbled to his lips, but he couldn`t bear to speak them. What would happen after he did? Sacien would not only kill him, but he'd be able to hurt Tommy and Lori . . .  
  
Merton didn't quite know how he did it, but the pain suddenly vanished and became a dull throbbing ache. He opened his eyes and looked down and saw that Sacien was simply standing over his body, hands outstretched, chanting something. So he wasn't being impaled with a barbed spear after all . . . it was some sort of spell . . .  
  
Sacien suddenly looked up and saw him floating there.  
  
"What! How did . . . impossible!" shrieked the werewolf, stopping the spell. Merton felt a great force suddenly pulling him down and then his body shuddered and he opened his eyes to see Sacien at a different angle; looking down rather than up.  
  
"How did you do that?" Sacien demanded, eyes wide with both fury and confusion.  
  
There was a great cry of anger and the cell door banged open. Tommy stood snarling in the doorway, eyes blazing with rage. Lori stood, not far behind him, fists raised to do damage.  
  
Sacien whirled around. "How did you get in here?!"  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Lori taunted, kicking Sacien in the ribs. The werewolf growled, and moved forward to attack while Tommy ran to Merton's side.  
  
"Merton! Are you all---"  
  
Merton put a hand to Tommy's mouth. Tommy drew back, confused at Merton's strange greeting and grimaced as he tasted the blood Merton had purposely smeared on his lips. With great pains, Merton swallowed the dryness in his throat and began to speak. "Tommy, I acknowledge you as my leader . . . and as the leader of the Syndicate. I am at your mercy . . ." Merton broke off coughing and Tommy`s eyes widened in alarm.  
  
Rufus was at Merton`s side in a moment, and coaxed the teen to drink some water.  
  
"What's next?" he asked weakly.  
  
"I give you my privileges . . ." Rufus told him.  
  
"NO!" Sacien screamed over his shoulder. Lori used his distraction as an opportunity to send him flying into the bars.  
  
"I give you my privileges . . ." Merton repeated.  
  
"And I hope your reign will be wise and just."  
  
"An' I hope y'reign will be w-wise and just." Merton slurred on, losing his focus. Tommy looked down at his body, eyes widening as he saw the damage his friend had undergone.  
  
"Oh god Merton . . . ." Tommy started, tears springing to his eyes.  
  
"Live for the pack, and may the pack live for you," Rufus finished, gravely.  
  
"Live f-for the pack, and may th-the pack live for you," Merton rasped. His eyes closed and he collapsed in Tommy's arms. Tommy scrambled to feel a pulse and was relieved to find that Merton's heart was still beating strongly.  
  
Nevertheless, his eyes burned with rage as he laid Merton's unconscious body down. Tommy got up and stalked toward Sacien, his hackles raised. Lori stood over Sacien who had stopped fighting her to watch Merton name Tommy as the new leader of the Syndicate.  
  
"Rufus, go get the other members of the brotherhood. Now."  
  
"Yessir," yipped Rufus, darting out of the cell.  
  
"Traitor," muttered Sacien.  
  
"You are going to pay for what you did to Merton, you son of a were-bitch."  
  
Lori looked at Merton with alarm, and as if sensing her fears, Tommy shook his head. "He's alive, don't worry," he told her, not taking his eyes off Sacien.  
  
The other brothers arrived and at a signal from Rufus, bowed down to Tommy. "Enough of that. I want you to tell me what you do with scum like him."  
  
"It depends on you, Tommy," one of the brothers spoke up, gruffly. "You're the leader."  
  
Sacien hissed wildly and seemed to shrivel up with fear.  
  
Tommy looked from Sacien to Merton, to Rufus who knelt with his head bowed. A tear fell from Rufus' eye and he wiped it away hurriedly. It was then Tommy remembered that Rufus was Sacien's son. An unlikely relationship, but Rufus seemed to care for his father. Tommy's heart softened a little, but only for Rufus' sake did he decide not to demand a punishment that would grievously harm the old werewolf. No matter how badly Tommy wanted to rip Sacien's head off and use it at football practice.  
  
"I want you all to watch him closely. Confine him to a room if you have to, but I do not want to hear of him leaving this building for any reason. And if he steps foot in Pleasantville -- _ever_ --" Tommy tried to think of a heinous punishment that would discourage Sacien from trying to disobey him.  
  
"Rip his balls off," Lori growled.  
  
Sacien turned three shades paler than normal and every member of the Syndicate grimaced.  
  
"Um . . . ow. Yeah, that's good. We'll leave it at that for now," said Tommy. "We're leaving," he snapped at the others. "I hope I never have to hear from any of you this way again. But if you need me, you know I`ll be in Pleasantville."  
  
"Thanks for letting us in, Rufus," Lori said to the young werewolf. He blushed and smiled pleasantly.  
  
"_WHAT?!_" shrieked Sacien, furiously. Everyone ignored him.  
  


* * *

  
Tommy's V.O. _Everything went back to normal within a week or so. Merton was bedridden for quite some time. Lori and I were at a loss for an explanation at how he managed to survive all those wounds without breaking. If it hadn't been for Merton's hidden strength, Sacien would have control over the Syndicate and Pleasantville would be in deep sludge.  
  
I was worried about him and I stayed by his side constantly until he got better. I felt so guilty for what I had said to him. Merton might not have fought Sacien physically, but he had showed that he **was** strong. I told him that it was cool but that I never wanted him to get himself half-killed to prove me wrong again. He whole-heartedly agreed.  
  
Sacien hasn't given us trouble since; I guess Lori's threat got the message across. Speaking of Lori, she kept her promise and after Merton got better, she taught him some kick-boxing moves. From what I've seen from their practice sessions, TnT had better not be messing with Merton anytime soon. Because they`ll probably end up killing him._  
  


THE END

  



End file.
